Many people who have overcrowded or misaligned teeth think of their dental status as more of an aesthetic concern than an oral issue. After all, your smile is one of the first things others notice about you, and crooked teeth can detract from your appearance and lower your self-confidence.
Your dentist offers orthodontic services to reposition your grin, but you might avoid them if you aren’t aware of their associated health benefits. If you’re frustrated by an imperfectly aligned grin, continue reading to learn 3 ways straightening it can improve your dental and overall well-being!
Perk #1: Easier to Clean
Although your dentist can use braces or Invisalign to improve your looks and increase your self-esteem, their primary goal is to protect and preserve your teeth and gums. Thankfully, undergoing these treatments can improve your appearance and safeguard your smile.
This is because overlapping teeth are more challenging to clean. If you can’t access all of their surfaces to brush and floss them twice daily, you’re more likely to develop cavities, gum disease, injuries, and bad breath. If left unaddressed, infections in your mouth can enter your bloodstream and travel to other areas of your body, contributing to more serious medical concerns like diabetes and heart problems. That means that realigning your grin can actively boost your oral and general well-being.
Perk #2: Reduced Muscle Tension
Did you know that misaligned teeth can contribute to TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders? The disc joints that anchor your jawbone to your skull can become overworked and inflamed if your teeth don’t come together properly when you close your mouth. The increased strain on your jaw can also lead to headaches, neck pain, and facial tenderness.
Shifting your pearly whites to their rightful places with an appropriate orthodontic solution reduces the extra pressure on your jaw joints so they can rest and recover, reducing associated muscle tension and throbbing.
Perk #3: Improved Digestion
Gapped or overcrowded teeth can also lead to concerns such as malnutrition or gastrointestinal issues, as it can be harder to chew food thoroughly enough for easy swallowing and digestion. Larger bits can slip through more expansive spaces in your smile, and you might struggle to bite into them with overcrowded front teeth; you’re more likely to consume overly large pieces. It can be hard for your body to break them down sufficiently to absorb nutrients or pass them through your system easily.
Once your teeth are in their rightful places, you’ll be able to chew sufficiently without any complications.
Straightening your smile with orthodontic services can enhance both your appearance and overall well-being.
About the Practice
At D’Andrea and Pantera Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, people of all ages benefit from a team of experts eager to help them build and maintain their most beautiful and healthy grins. They have decades of combined experience offering a comprehensive menu of services to meet all your needs at one convenient location, including orthodontics. They combine a caring and compassionate approach with state-of-the-art technology to enhance patient comfort while delivering accurate treatment results intended to last. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (203) 288-0951.
